US group visits Taiwan base amid subs speculation

TAIPEI (AFP) - A US congressional group paid a rare visit to a Taiwan naval base on Sunday, a military source said, raising speculation about efforts to revive a US deal to provide the island with eight submarines.

The delegation, led by Edward Royce who is chairman of the US House Committee on Foreign Affairs, arrived on Saturday as part of a visit to East Asia, according to the de facto US embassy, the American Institute in Taiwan.

"While in Taiwan, the delegation will meet with senior leaders to discuss US-Taiwan relations, trade and other significant issues," it said in a statement.

The delegation visited the Tsoying naval base in the south for a briefing and boarded a warship Sunday before meeting Kaohsiung city mayor Chen Chu, the military source said, without providing details.